A Night With Daphne
by Kristen3
Summary: When Maris throws him out of the house, Niles heads to his brother's. But what will happen when only a certain woman from Manchester is there to comfort him? Set in Season 1. Rating is for mild innuendo.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**Usual disclaimer applies: I own nothing, blah, blah blah. Many thanks to my friends who patiently read several drafts of this story and offered feedback. Please R&R, but remember this is my first _Frasier_ story, so be gentle. :)

Maris had done it again. She'd thrown Niles out of the house. One would think that after the first half dozen or so times, it would become routine. But it wasn't. He was beginning to wonder why he even bothered to stay married. It wasn't like he didn't have another option. Or at least, he might, if he ever got up the nerve to pursue her. Niles sighed as he raised his hand to ring his brother's doorbell. But before his finger had even made contact with the button, the door was opened.

"Dr. Crane!" Daphne exclaimed, clearly surprised to see him there. She was wearing one of her best dresses. It nearly made Niles forget why he'd come.

"Daphne, you look -" Niles broke off, unable to find a word to finish the sentence. There simply was no word in the English language that could describe her accurately.

"Thanks," Daphne said, with a slightly embarrassed smile. "I was just on me way out to meet some of me girlfriends. I reckon since your brother's off visiting his son, and your father's off on his fishing trip, I was entitled to enjoy me freedom."

"Oh. Then don't let me keep you." Niles stepped aside to allow Daphne to leave. She started to step forward, but the look on his face made her stop.

"Is everything all right, Dr. Crane? It's not Mrs. Crane again, is it?"

Niles nodded. "She threw me out again. I forgot Frasier left this morning." That last part was a bit of a lie. He knew his brother had flown out to visit Frederick, as well as a few old friends in Boston. But Niles didn't have many real friends of his own, so this was the only place he could think of to go.

Daphne had been looking forward to this night out for days. It would be a welcome relief from all she did to take care of both Dr. Crane and his father. She loved them both dearly, but they both could drive her crazy now and then. Even so, the sight of Dr. Crane's brother looking so helpless made her change her mind. She just couldn't leave him in this condition. "Why don't you come in? I can cancel me plans."

"No, Daphne, don't go to all that trouble," Niles said immediately. "I'm sure I can find another friend who has a couch I can sleep on. Perhaps I'll go to Roz's. At least she's used to having men sleep over." Niles smiled weakly at his own joke.

"It's all right, Dr. Crane. If you need me to stay, I will."

Niles' head was spinning slightly. The idea of spending the night alone with Daphne was intoxicating. Even if they never actually did anything, that would be enough. _After all_, he thought_, I _am _still married to Maris_. _At least until her lawyers inform me otherwise_. He decided he couldn't take the risk. If he gave into temptation tonight, he would never forgive himself. No matter how good it felt. "I can't let you give up your night out just to listen to me whine. I know how much you've been looking forward to this."

"I'm not going to take no for an answer," Daphne said, as she moved back into the apartment and began dialing the phone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**Here's the next part! Thanks for the great feedback on chapter one. I was pretty nervous about posting this! Anyway, hope you like this. Again R&R, but try to be nice. :)

Once Niles had apologized profusely for interrupting Daphne's plans, he quickly excused himself to call Frasier to ask for some advice.

"Hi, Niles. I'm really kind of in a hurry right now. I'm meeting Sam in just a few minutes," Frasier said upon answering his cellphone. Even through the phone, Niles could hear the exasperation in his brother's voice.

"Ah, yes, your bartender friend. I'm sure our wine club would be very impressed," Niles said sarcastically.

"Oh, Niles, cut it out. I've just had a very trying day discussing Fredrick's latest report card with Lilith. I'm really not in the mood."

"All right. But I just thought you should know that Maris threw me out again."

Frasier sighed. "What did you do this time? Call her fat again?"

"I only did that once! How was I supposed to know she didn't appreciate sarcasm?" Now it was Niles' turn to be annoyed.

"Well, I'd love to help you, but there isn't much I can do, considering I'm 3,000 miles away!"

"I know that," Niles said. "But I'm here at your apartment." He paused. "And so is Daphne."

"Oh," Frasier said. After thinking about it for a moment, he added, "_Oh_!"

"Now, I know I'm still married to Maris, but this is Daphne. And, Frasier, she's in a dress. I'm not sure what to do."

Frasier thought for a moment. There seemed to be only one solution. "You have to go back to Maris. Apologize."

"I'm tired of groveling," Niles replied. "And besides, there's no way I'd even get past the gates if I did go back there now. It always takes Maris at least one night to cool off."

Frasier rolled his eyes. "If that woman cooled off any more, she'd freeze to death. Now, Niles, think. If you stay with Daphne tonight, you'll only end up giving in to your emotions and doing something you'll regret later. This kind of thing ruins marriages. I should know. It ruined mine!"

"I know you're right, Frasier. But I have _nowhere else to go_!"

"Well, you could always go to Roz's," Frasier suggested.

"Yes, and I'm sure she'd be just thrilled to see me at this hour," Niles said sarcastically. "In case you haven't noticed, Roz and I are not exactly best friends."

"True. But you know how you are around Daphne. Niles, you're my brother. I don't want to see you do anything you'll regret." As anxious as Frasier had been to catch up with Sam Malone, he suddenly found himself wishing he could be back in Seattle to keep his brother from making a huge mistake.

"Frasier, I know you're only trying to look out for me, but I'm a grown man. I think I can manage to spend the night with a woman and not end up in bed with her. I've been doing it for the past ten years with Maris!"

"All right," Frasier said. "I've got an idea that might keep your emotions at bay. Every time you look at Daphne, I want you to picture Maris. That should kill your sexual impulses. God _knows_ it would kill mine!"

"Thank you for the advice, Frasier. I'd better go now. I don't want to keep Daphne waiting." With that, Niles ended the call and returned his phone to his breast pocket. When he came back into the living room, he saw Daphne sitting on the couch.

"How's your brother?"

"Daphne, you couldn't have overheard my phone conversation from here," Niles said with a slight smile.

"Me psychic powers, remember?" Daphne pointed to her skull. "Besides, I know how close you and Dr. Crane are, so it wouldn't be hard to guess even without me powers."

"I suppose you're right. Frasier's practically the only friend I've got. Well, there's also Maris, but I guess I can't count her now."

"If you don't mind my asking, what did you and Mrs. Crane fight about?" Daphne asked.

"Let's just say that when Maris tries on a new outfit and says, 'Give me your honest opinion,' she doesn't really mean it," Niles said. He chuckled slightly. For most wives, that would seem like an incredibly petty reason to throw someone out, but Maris seemed to think it was perfectly legitimate.

Daphne couldn't help feeling sorry for Dr. Crane. "Oh. I see," was all she could manage to get out. The nerve of that woman, treating Dr. Crane like this! Though he could be a bit uptight sometimes, he clearly was a sensitive man with a good heart. Sometimes Daphne thought she'd like to give Mrs. Crane a piece of her mind. But of course, she would never interfere that way. If Dr. Crane was happy with her, and he indeed appeared to be, there was nothing she could do about it.

"So...what do you feel like doing tonight?" Niles asked, noting the slightly awkward silence between them.

"If you don't feel up to going out, we could stay here and watch some television," Daphne suggested.

Niles' first instinct was to jump at the suggestion. He could think of nothing better than to sit next to Daphne on the couch and watch TV. But he remembered his brother's advice and forced himself to focus on Maris' face as he had last seen it. Frasier was right: there was absolutely _nothing_ about that face that would excite a man. "Well, all right," Niles said as he cautiously took a seat on the couch as far from Daphne as possible.

Daphne found it a bit odd that Dr. Crane would seat himself at the other end of the sofa. He even seemed a bit uncomfortable around her. It wasn't like him at all. But she shrugged off her concerns. Being on the outs with Mrs. Crane must have shaken him up.


	3. Chapter 3

For the next several minutes, the two channel-surfed in near silence. But there didn't seem to be anything on, except for infomercials. Daphne tried several times to interest Dr. Crane in a movie, but everything just seemed to remind him of his wife.

As Daphne flipped through the channels on Frasier's TV set, Niles happened to glance at a paperback book lying on the coffee table. A bare-chested male model stared at him from its cover. "Is this what you're reading?" he asked, hoping to ease some of the awkwardness by starting a conversation. It was one thing to respect his marriage vows, but he decided it wasn't necessary to treat Daphne as if she had a contagious disease.

"Yes," Daphne replied. "I know your brother wouldn't think much of it, but I've a bit of a weakness for romance novels. Always have."

"Well, at least you're better than Dad," Niles replied. "The only thing he ever reads is the sports page."

"That's not true," Daphne countered. "I once saw him reading a book on dog training. He wanted to teach Eddie to open the refrigerator and fetch him a can of beer." She laughed.

The sound of Daphne's laughter made him dizzy again. He had to summon up the image of Maris' angry face in order to regain control of his senses. "What's it about?" he asked, as he flipped through the pages in an effort to appear nonchalant.

"Oh, it's about a man who's been in love with the same woman for twenty years," Daphne said. "But the poor bloke almost loses her, since he hasn't the courage to tell her how he really feels. It's quite tragic, really."

Niles swallowed hard, not quite sure how to respond. Before he knew what he was doing, he heard himself saying, "I-I would never do a thing like that. If I really loved someone, I'd find a way to let her know." As soon as the words had left his mouth, he regretted ever uttering them. _Think of Maris_, he ordered himself. "I mean -"

Daphne interrupted his hurried explanation by putting her hand on his knee reassuringly. Niles looked down at it. Why was he suddenly unable to breathe?

"Oh, Dr. Crane, you mustn't get yourself so upset. I'm sure Mrs. Crane knows how you feel," Daphne said.

Niles cleared his throat. "Uh, right. Mrs. Crane." Just then, Niles' cellphone rang. After mouthing an apology to Daphne, he hurried to the kitchen to take the call in private.

Daphne tried to listen to Dr. Crane's end of the conversation, but it seemed that whoever had called was doing most of the talking. A few moments later, he returned. "You're not going to believe this! That was Maris," he explained. "She says that if I apologize, I can come back." He did not sound overjoyed at the idea of reuniting with his wife.

"Well, are you going to do it?" Daphne asked. Though there had been a few rough spots, she didn't want the evening to end. She was always more at ease around Dr. Crane than his brother.

Niles laughed. "No way. When Maris says 'apologize,' what she really means is 'buy me an expensive gift.' She knows I usually come back as soon as she asks. But not this time."

Daphne couldn't help smiling. "Good for you, Dr. Crane!" She knew she probably shouldn't be so happy about Dr. Crane's marital troubles, but it did seem like Mrs. Crane had it coming. "So what should we do now?" she asked.


	4. Chapter 4

Niles looked around the room. Frasier's stereo caught his eye. "I know, we could listen to some music!" he said. He walked over and turned the radio on. Not surprisingly, it was already tuned to KACL, the station where Frasier worked.

"You're listening to _The Dr. Frasier Crane Show_. I'm Dr. Crane, and _I'm listening_," said a very familiar voice.

"Why would they be running your brother's show at this time of night?" Daphne asked.

Niles shrugged. "Maybe KACL wants to help all the insomniacs in Seattle."

"Roz, who have we got on the line?" Frasier continued.

"On line one, we've got Jack, from Seattle, who has a question about his love life," Roz answered.

"Go ahead, caller. I'm listening," Frasier prompted.

"Hi, Dr. Crane," said the caller. "I'm calling because I've got this friend. See, I'd really like to be more than friends with her, if you know what I mean."

"Yes, I think Roz and I can figure that out," said Frasier dryly. "What, exactly, is your problem?"

"Well, I don't know where to start," Jack replied. "I mean, what if she just wants to be friends? Or what if she doesn't, and it ends up being awkward between us?"

"I can see why this might be frightening," Frasier admitted. "But really, you must seize the day. _Carpe diem_. If you never put yourself out there, how is this woman ever going to know how you feel?"

Niles' heart skipped a beat upon hearing those words from his brother. Sure, they weren't directly addressed to _him_, but he still could not help seeing this as some sort of sign. After all, the woman _he _was in love with was right here. And, even though he knew it would be wrong, a part of him longed to take Frasier's advice.

"Thanks, Dr. Crane," Jack said. "But I really think I could use a woman's opinion, too, if that's all right?"

"Oh, I think we can arrange that," Frasier said. "Roz..."

"For once, I actually agree with Dr. Crane," Roz told the caller. "I know in my own life there have been plenty of guys I let get away, just because I was too scared to tell them how I felt. And besides, a woman is not a mind-reader; she's not going to just magically know how you feel."

"You see, Jack?" Frasier asked. "It's unanimous. And Roz's opinion is backed up by quite a bit of experience, too!"

"Thank you, Dr. Crane," said Jack. "I'm going to talk to her tomorrow!" And with a click, the call ended.

"Well, that's our show for today, folks," Frasier was saying. "Stay tuned to KACL for Bob 'Bulldog' Briscoe and _The Gonzo Sports Show_."

With that, Niles quickly turned off the radio. He knew neither he nor Daphne had any interest in listening to Bulldog's show.

"You know, I'm not quite sure I agree with your brother's advice," Daphne said.

"Really?" Niles asked. "Personally, I thought he was very insightful."

"I know I'm no expert in psychology," she admitted. "But I don't think it's always a good idea to rush into something like that. If you're not ready, it could ruin everything."

Niles thought for a moment. As much as he hated to admit it, Daphne did have a point. _Am I really willing to risk my friendship with Daphne? Not to mention my marriage!_ "Yes," Niles agreed. "But waiting too long could also lead to regret."

"I suppose so," Daphne replied. Suddenly, she looked down at her watch. "I didn't realize it was so late. Maybe we should call it a night."

"Maybe we should," Niles replied. The idea of sleeping under the same roof as Daphne was almost more than he could bear. He watched as she walked off toward her room. His mind wandered into areas he knew he shouldn't allow it to, but he seemed to be powerless to stop it.


	5. Chapter 5

Luckily, Niles' thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. He could not fathom who it could be. Certainly no one would be looking for Frasier here, given that he was out of town. He crossed to the door and opened it. To Niles' surprise, he found Roz standing there. By the look on her face, it was clear she was just as shocked to see him.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Niles asked.

"I could ask you the same question," Roz retorted. "I just came by to drop off the copy for some promos your brother and I are going to record as soon as he gets back. I know it's late, but I wanted to give this to Daphne before I forgot." She held out a folder in her hand.

Roz was about the last person Niles wanted to see right now. "Thanks," he said curtly, taking the folder from her. "I'll give this to her." He began to close the door.

"Are you trying to get rid of me? What's going on?" Niles was never exactly glad to see her, but now he seemed to want her to leave even more than usual.

"Nothing's 'going on.' Maris and I had a fight, and I needed a place to stay, that's all," he replied.

"Oh, I get it," Roz said with a wink. "Well, I never really thought Daphne was your type, but hey, if that's what floats your boat, go for it!" She hadn't known Niles for very long, but he'd always seemed so snobby and uptight. The idea of him ever being interested in Daphne was so ridiculous, she couldn't resist teasing him about it.

"Roz, I'm telling you, it's nothing like that!" Niles protested. At that moment, he heard a voice from behind him.

"Dr. Crane, did I hear someone at the door?" Niles turned to see Daphne emerge from her room wearing a nightgown that left precious little to the imagination.

"Oh, hi, Daphne!" Roz exclaimed. She turned back to Niles with a wicked grin. "Sure. I believe you." She winked at him once more, then left before Niles could even think what to say.

"What did Roz want?" Daphne asked.

The sight of Daphne in such a revealing nightgown made coherent thought almost impossible for Niles. "She came to drop off some paperwork for Frasier," he was finally able to reply.

Daphne noticed something odd in Dr. Crane's behavior. She suspected there might have been more to his conversation with Roz, but decided not to question it. "Oh. Well, good night, Dr. Crane."

"Good night, Daphne," Niles replied. He could hardly believe he was actually here with Daphne, saying good night to her, as if it were completely normal.

Just as Daphne turned back toward her room, she looked at Dr. Crane. Once again, she saw the helpless look he'd had when he first arrived. She guessed he was missing his wife. She walked over to where he stood, and gave him a slight embrace. "I'm sure things will work out between you and Mrs. Crane in the morning," she said.

The feeling of Daphne's arms around his waist made Niles dizzy again. It took a moment for him to realize what she was talking about. "Yes, I'm...sure it will," he said, as he finally released her.


	6. Chapter 6

Hours later, Niles lay awake in Frasier's bed, reliving the events of this night. On the one hand, he was proud of himself for not giving in to temptation. But, on the other hand, having spent this time alone with Daphne had only made him love her more. If that was even possible. Before he had met Daphne, he literally hadn't known women like her existed. Most of the women he knew were stuffy socialites who only wanted to talk about their facelifts, their money, or their extramarital affairs. Daphne wasn't like that at all. She was warm and kind in a way Maris could never be. But of course, he wasn't ready to leave his wife yet. And he strongly suspected that, even if he were ready, she would not let him go easily.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Crane apartment, Daphne was also unable to sleep. This night had not gone how she'd planned it at all. But all the same, she couldn't remember a more pleasant evening, at least not since she'd started working here. Spending all her time taking care of Mr. Crane wasn't exactly doing wonders for her romantic prospects. And Dr. Crane wasn't much help either. He didn't seem to want her _or_ his father invading his precious personal space. But his brother was completely different. He seemed to really see her in a way men of his class usually didn't. Maybe that was why tonight had been so enjoyable; she hadn't had to worry about saying or doing the wrong thing. She was able to simply be herself. Her last thought, as she finally drifted off to sleep, was to wonder if she would ever find a man like Dr. Crane.

The next morning, Niles awoke to the sound of his cellphone ringing. Still half-asleep, he picked it up and muttered "Hello?" into it.

"Don't tell me I woke you up!" Frasier said in alarm. "Shouldn't you be going to work now...or at least back home?"

Niles' head was now beginning to clear as he realized where he was and why. "I don't have any patients until this afternoon, and I'm not sure if I want to go back to Maris yet."

"What did you and Daphne _do_ last night?" Frasier demanded.

"We didn't _do _anything," Niles insisted. "We talked for a while, listened to your show, and then went to bed – in separate rooms!" He paused as more of the previous night came back to him. "Oh, and Roz stopped by to drop something off for you."

"Roz stopped by? Oh dear God, I can't imagine what she must've thought!"

"Do you really think I'm concerned about what Roz Doyle thinks?" Niles asked.

"No, I suppose not," Frasier replied. After a moment, he added, "Don't you think you've proven your point with Maris by now? Maybe it's time you tried talking to her."

Niles sighed. "Frasier, you don't know what it's like to be married to someone like her."

"I don't know what it's like? Does the name 'Lilith' mean anything to you?"

"Oh, come on," Niles replied. "That's not the same thing!"

Frasier sighed, exasperated. "Niles, the only difference between Maris and Lilith is that Lilith has a Ph. D! Why do you think I spent so much time at Cheers?"

"Even if you're right, that still doesn't mean I should go back," Niles said. Deep down, he knew he would have to face Maris eventually, but he was reluctant both to admit that Frasier was right, and to leave Daphne.

"You cannot hide from your wife forever. Lord knows I tried to hide from mine, but she always found me," Frasier said.

"I know," Niles replied. "You're right." He began to take off the pajamas he'd borrowed from his brother and put on the clothes he'd had on yesterday. "I'll go thank Daphne for keeping me company, and then go home. Thanks, Frasier."

"No problem," Frasier said. "Giving advice is sort of what I do these days."


	7. Chapter 7

After a few more minutes of small talk about Frasier's visit to Boston, the brothers hung up. True to his word, Niles immediately set off for the kitchen in search of Daphne. He saw her coming out of her room just as he reached the living room. Even in her robe and slippers, she could take his breath away.

"Morning, Dr. Crane. Did you sleep all right?"

Niles shrugged, remembering the hours he'd laid awake thinking of her.

"Well, a bit of breakfast will cheer you right up!" Daphne said, heading toward the kitchen.

Niles knew he should politely decline and face the consequences with Maris. But despite all his good intentions, he found himself saying, "Do you need a hand?"

"That's very sweet of you, Dr. Crane," Daphne replied. "But I think I can handle it."

"I insist," Niles said, following her into the kitchen. "It's the least I can do after you took me in last night."

"Don't mention it. I'm sure you'd do the same for me."

"Yes, I believe I would," Niles said, as he imagined what it would be like to be able to comfort her in such a situation.

"Earth to Dr. Crane," Daphne said with a laugh.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Niles replied. "I just...drifted off there for a moment." He wondered what she would say if she knew what was running through his mind right now.

"Well, do you think your mind could stay here long enough for you to tell me what you'd like for breakfast? I may be psychic, but I'm no mind reader."

Niles laughed nervously. "Just coffee, thanks."

As Daphne began to prepare his coffee, she remarked, "I'm sure this won't be as good as what you and your brother are used to."

"Why would you say that?" Niles wondered. He couldn't imagine ever being displeased with anything Daphne attempted to do.

"Oh, well, I know you two spend so much time at that cafe of yours."

"Well, it's really more Frasier's hangout than mine," Niles said. "It's right across from his office. It's the only place he and I can talk without Dad around."

"You and Dr. Crane certainly spend a lot of time together," Daphne said as she carried her breakfast into the dining area.

"I guess we're making up for lost time. Frasier and I hardly spoke at all when he was living in Boston." Niles couldn't help sounding a bit jealous.

"I can understand why that would be a bit upsetting. It's never easy being separated from your family." Since most of Daphne's family were living in Manchester, she spoke from some experience. "But now that Dr. Crane is living here again, I'm sure things'll get better." She reached over and patted his hand consolingly.

Niles looked down at Daphne's hand on his, and suddenly found himself short of breath. A feeling like an electric shock seemed to be making its way up his arm.

Daphne involuntarily jerked her hand off Dr. Crane's. She could've sworn she felt a spark when she touched him. But they were both sitting at the table, so static electricity didn't seem likely. _Did I just imagine that?_ Daphne wondered.

For a moment, neither one said a word. Niles was too busy trying to compose himself enough to speak coherently. Daphne could only stare at her hand and wonder what on earth had just happened to her. The silence was abruptly broken by the sound of Niles' phone ringing.

Niles picked up his phone to see who was calling. "It's Maris...why would _she_ be calling?"


	8. Chapter 8

Daphne laughed nervously. "I expect she's wondering where you are."

"Oh...right," Niles said, now that he'd calmed down a bit. "I'll just go take this in the kitchen." With that, he quickly hurried off speak to his wife in private.

A moment later, he rushed out of the kitchen in a panic.

"What did Mrs. Crane say?" Daphne asked. As with the earlier phone call, Daphne wasn't able to overhear much.

"She says if I'm not home in ten minutes, she's going to have the servants pour my entire wine collection into the sink," Niles said, as he frantically gathered up his belongings.

"Do you really think Mrs. Crane would do such a thing?" Daphne asked.

Niles chuckled. "Oh, I know she would. Once, when I stayed late at the office, I came home to find the maid using my brand-new suit as a dust rag. I still have nightmares about it."

"Well, if you have to go, then go," Daphne said, looking at the carpet. She could not help feeling a bit disappointed. In the last few minutes before Mrs. Crane had called, she'd almost thought of herself and Dr. Crane as equals. She didn't really want that feeling to end.

Niles saw the hurt on Daphne's face. It almost made him want to stay, no matter what Maris said. "I would really love to stay, but-"

"No, it's all right," Daphne said. "I hope you can work everything out with Mrs. Crane." She moved toward him, planning to give him a quick hug good-bye.

Niles saw what she was doing, and maneuvered himself so he could shake her hand. If he allowed himself to do anything more, he would never be able to leave. "Thank you...for everything," he managed to say before he ran off.

As he raced back to his mansion, Niles forced himself not to think of Daphne. Right now, he was far more concerned with Maris, and how many of his possessions she might destroy before he got there. Panic caused him to begin to hyperventilate. It took a moment before he could calm himself down so he could drive. He never should have stayed at Frasier's last night. He should have stayed home and pleaded with Maris. Then he would have avoided the struggle to resist Daphne, and he wouldn't be facing the prospect of his beloved wine collection ending up somewhere in the Pacific.

Meanwhile, back at Elliot Bay Towers, Daphne began cleaning up from breakfast. Even though she was glad that Dr. and Mrs. Crane were going to work out their differences, she was sad that her time with Dr. Crane had come to such an abrupt end. _It's not like I was thinking about him romantically_, she thought to herself. _He _is_ still married after all_. _But we were having a good time there for a while. _She sighed. _Maybe I should just face the fact: There's no way I'm ever going to find Mr. Right around here. _

Just then, the phone rang. "Crane residence," Daphne answered. She tried her best not to let her mood show in her voice.

"Hey, Daph," Frasier and Niles' father, Martin, replied. "I just wanted to make sure you remembered to walk Eddie."

"Yes, I did. Don't worry." Daphne sighed. _As if I don't know how to take care of that bloody dog by now_, she thought.

"What's eating you?" Martin asked. It wasn't like Daphne to be so short with people.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Crane," Daphne said. "Your son was just here."

"Oh," Martin replied. "Let me guess: Niles made you watch one of his operas on PBS again."

Daphne couldn't help laughing at that. "No. He spent last night here, actually."

"Maris threw him out again, didn't she?" Martin said.

"Don't tell me _you're _psychic now, too," Daphne replied.

"No. I just know it's been a couple of weeks since the last time she threw him out. I sort of figured it would happen any day now." Martin laughed.

Daphne felt her bad mood fading. Oh, sure, Mr. Crane could be tough. Often, the hardest part of Daphne's job was simply getting the old man to do the exercises required to re-strengthen his hip. But underneath all that, Daphne could tell he had a good heart. In fact, that was likely something his younger son had inherited.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:**Here's the final chapter. Please don't hate me for ending it this way. I really do love Niles and Daphne, but since this is Season 1, I didn't have much choice. (And believe me, it wasn't easy to find a way to write this without actually showing Maris!)

Niles arrived at his mansion just in time to see Marta, his maid, begin to pour one of his most prized bottles of wine into the sink. "Stop!" he said immediately. Marta jumped, but fortunately, no wine spilled. "Where's Mrs. Crane?" Marta pointed to the stairs.

Niles ran to the foot of the staircase, then stopped. Was he really ready to face Maris? Did he even _want_ to talk to her? Part of him wanted to get in his car, drive back to Frasier's, and never leave Daphne's side again. But then he glanced at the wall, where a photo hung. It was taken on his wedding day. He could still clearly recall each and every detail of that day. Even though his father and brother had not exactly approved of the marriage, they had both come. Frasier and Lilith had flown in from Boston. It was the only time they'd seen each other since he'd moved across the country. Niles had thought it would be a sign that he and his brother might finally become friends. But then, during the ceremony, Lilith got an unfortunate case of the giggles. Something about their vows must have seemed funny to her. But Niles knew the truth. He and Maris had meant every word. And, even though they were having some difficulties now, he still meant them. So, maybe, his marriage was worth saving. Even if it meant keeping his feelings for Daphne to himself.


End file.
